Mitt Romney has benefited from an unlawful tax strategy employed by Bain Capital, three separate tax law experts tell Lean Forward.
“It violates the established tax law,” one put it flatly.
At issue are documents posted online Thursday by Gawker.com. They show that, like many other private equity firms, Bain has reduced its tax bill via an aggressive strategy that converts management fees, which are taxed as ordinary income, into capital gains, which are taxed at the lower 15% rate, tax experts who have reviewed the documents say. The documents show Bain has employed this strategy to convert over $1 billion in fees into capital gains, The New York Times reports.
Romney left Bain some time between 1999 and 2002—the exact date is contested—but there’s no dispute that, through his severance agreement, he maintains a financial interest in the investment funds at issue.
The Romney campaign has said Romney has no control over his investments. “Governor and Mrs. Romney’s assets are managed on a blind basis,” Michele Davis, a campaign spokeswoman said in a statement to The Washington Post. “They do not control the investment of these assets, the investment decisions are made by a trustee. Furthermore, the trustee does not decide where funds he invests in are domiciled, the sponsors of the funds do.”
On his blog Thursday, Victor Fleischer, a prominent tax law professor who teaches at the University of Colorado Law School, explained how the management fee conversion strategy often works.
“Each year, before the annual management fee comes due, the fund manager waives the management fee in exchange for a priority allocation of future profits,” Fleischer wrote. “There is minimal economic risk involved; as long as the fund, at some point, has a profitable quarter, the managers get paid.”
But in order to be legal, there needs to be some chance that the manager will lose out under the new arrangement, Dan Shaviro, a professor of taxation at NYU Law School, and the author of several books on tax policy, explained. And in Bain’s case, Shaviro, Fleischer, and a third prominent tax law professor who asked to remain anonymous all said, there just isn’t enough risk.
“[Bain] managers get to choose whether or not to waive [the management fee] on an annual basis,” Fleischer said. “So they can look at how their portfolio investments are doing on an annual basis and decide.”
“It is in my view improper, and it violates the established tax law,” said the third tax law professor. “In a court of law, I would rather be on the government’s side.”
“It’s just a fancy game with the IRS,” the professor added.
To be sure, the IRS isn’t known to have brought any cases relating to the management fee conversion strategy. Shaviro said that’s because the outmanned agency has been unable to keep up with the slew of sophisticated tax avoidance strategies pioneered in recent years. “They have too much stuff to worry about.”
In a statement to the Times, a Bain spokesman said the documents show "compliance with all laws.” And Fleischer and Shaviro both cautioned that different tax lawyers might come to different conclusions. “It’s conceivable that someone got an opinion that this works,” Shaviro said. “But in cases like this, I think the best, most reputable tax lawyers probably would refuse to give an opinion,” he said, because they would strongly doubt its legality.
On his blog, Fleischer was blunter: “If challenged in court, Bain would lose,” he wrote, and added: “Bottom line: Mitt Romney has not paid all the taxes required under law.”
Leave a Comment:
We've seen this kind of thing ever since the tax code was created. Individuals, corporations, holding companies, businesses, all go after twists in the law, or just overly favorable interpretations of the code to create the lowest possible tax. No wonder the IRS is swamped.
Where Romney's image is damaged is that the majority of individuals and businesses do not go to extremes to avoid taxes and will pay (not necessarily with enthusiasm) their fair share. This, questionable Bain strategy, creates, in the voters mind, the concern over Romney's sense of ethics and fair play.
Does this surprise anyone? It doesn't surprise me.
Just think, if Romney had gone ahead and released his damn taxes long ago, this might have never come up.
It's great and pretty courageous for the "Lean Forward Blog" to run this article and it will be interesting to see how far the corporate media runs with this ball. "Meet the Press" for instance probably won't touch this hot potato. Major corporate folks and corporate advertisers probably don't want these kinds of major tax evasion schemes brought to light. We'll be able to tell how manipulated and complicit individual media corporations are by their response to this information. Hats off to this blog spot in this instance for helping to shine the light on these dastardly tax evasion scenarios and Mitt Romney's complicity in these unpatriotic and apparently unlawful tax evasion schemes. It will be interesting to see how far corporate media goes in order to not cover or to tamp down this info. Romney's not the only big shot getting over on the USA and cheating on his taxes. Romney is seen as being obviously involved in criminality by formidable tax experts, and his cohorts in corporate America and on Wall Street who pay the medias' salaries in largest part won't want this information discussed in the larger public square. They'll try to quash it. This story will help to separate reasonably honest media from dishonest and corporately contrived and manipulated American media. Gobama!
reveal5..I have to fully agree with you . I can not see any of the media jumping on this in any way. What it really says is that Romney has been caught in yet another lie. Will have to wait and see what kind of fallout there may or may not be .
I think the statement "Bain would lose" is the operative one. When he lied about his taxes and pretended he was eligible to run for gov in MA, and he was caught, not only did they not arrest him--he said an underling must have messed it up--but they let him go ahead and run for governor. It may happen that "Bain broke the law, but I didn't know anything about it."
It's now Sunday and corporate media has dropped this story like a hot potato. The fix is in.
and he wants us to Trust him on the details on his budget plan, plan to overhaul Entitlement Programs, etc. NO FREAKING WAY!!
Romney is a scum bag crack-pot.
Come on people, give Romney a break, another tax break!
Romney wants us to trust him to do what's best for America while it seems his specialty more directly lies in trying to get over on America. He's not a particularly religiously inspired fellow, he's more like a champion exploiter. He's more like a corporate theocrat or a corporate high priest. He worships money. He worships the Golden Calf.
And here we all were thinking there couldn't be a more dispicable character than Bernie Madoff! Well meet the REAL Mitt Romney.
I guess if your rich, "Patriotism" means never paying how you weighing".
Not surprising to me. He also violated US law by campaigning for donations overseas (Israel, Poland, etc). It's illegal.
Seems Romney has no problems skirting laws of any kind. He is an opportunist with no real morals. He certainly doesn't care enough about America to support our country and paying taxes is part of that patriotism.
Since Romney isn't patriotic enough to pay his fair share of taxes, why should we even consider electing him?
I read recently that the legal tax rate for venture capital, the lowest rate for anyone in the country--is 0.8%. Other privileged businesses like oil have reduced rates, but not like this. So passing earnings off as capital made a BIG difference!
I always felt he was hiding something, Now I Know What It Is!
IRS should do it's job, they sure come after the people who owe 5 or 10 thousand dollars, fair and balanced, I think not!
You got it Bernie :)
A few years ago the IRS came after me for about $6500. I have kept tax records for ten years back(which my wife hates) but I had the records to show that not only did I not make $20,000 more than I did, but actually lost that amount in a mutual fund I closed out. They owed me only $650, for losing that amount of money, but the point was THEY OWED ME, not the other way around. I intend to keep things that way.
I can't understand how Mitt & Mrs. can have $100,000,000 in an IRA if the only tax reduction is like $5500 a year for whoever earned the money. Since MRS. doesn't work outside the house, they could only have about $150,000 in the IRA that is tax deferred. And why would he need an IRA? Something is rotten in Robemeville.
401K's are routinely rolled over into IRAs, and while you can only deduct from gross iearned income the amount of earned income contributed to Non Roth, or Traditional IRAs and 401Ks, you can put a lot more money each year into a 401K than you can an IRA, and you can fund both an IRA and a 401K each year. So, if one had very good investments in both, and rolled the much larger 401K into the IRA after leaving your employer, higher amounts than the average citizen has in tax sheltered retirement accounts are certainly achievable, Robert.
A question I raise is this, If Romney did sign up for IRS Tax Amnesty in 2009, Along with doing that, Did he also take care of any other Tax issues HE might have had considering that He had Political ambitions? In those Tax returns did he clean up any wrongdoing's that His buisness dealing's he had with his son Tagg, In regards to Solamere Capital, and buisness ties with 3 person's that worked with Allen Stanford,(Stanford Ponzi Scheme)? Questionable SEC filing's, Residency issue's with regards to his Gov. race, tenure at Bain, To many question's But no answer's from the Man Himself, Yes I do think something is Rotten
One other question I would like to ask Romney did you receive any contributions from Scott Rothstein or have any dealing's with him?
Let's see, two posts now on Romney's taxes in the last 10 post topics, and nothing on the spiraling downward ecoonomy, the spiraling upward Unemployment Rate and the National Debt, and the rising prices for gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and electricity under this failed President Obama's Administration.
Gawker is headquarterd in the Cayman Islands (one presumes to void paying taxes in the US), and after an exhaustive study of the Romney's Blind Trust holdings, they found that 2.5% only of their millions were invested in things like high yield income funds in Cayman Islands, Berrmuda, Luxomberg, and some cash equivalents in a Swiss Bank Account. That neans that 97.5% of the Romneys' millions were regularly invested in stocks, bonds, real estate, MLPs, commodities, and interest bearing cash equivalents.
I have pretty much the same in common every day Fidelity, Inc, mutual funds that invest a portion in Cayman Islands and Bermudan and Luxomberg funds for diversification and higher income, while concentrating on mostly US Corporate Stocks and Bonds, and U.S.Government Bonds, Stocks and Bonds of Real Estate Companies and Corporations. And that is diversified with shares of The Permanent Fund (of San Antonio, TX) that holds besides income and growth stocks and US Government Bonds, some REITS, Precious Metals bullion and mining company stocks, and Swiss Franks. And I also have the diversification and hard asset investment in shares of the Central Fund of Canada, sold on the American Stock Exchange, which holds gold and silver bullion in Canandian Vaults, purchased with Canadian Loonies.
Seems none of this is shady, underhanded, cheating, or illegal...it's all on the up and up, folks. And just as my holdings are none of your damned business, left wingnuts, its not your business what the Romneys, two very upstanding and morally strong individuals in our society have in their Blind Trust, and who they make charitable contributions too.
Why not stop with all the stupid repetitive distraction topics we have here, and concentrate on the real and deadly serious issues of this election, O'Donnell and MSNBC?
Thank you for putting the truth out there. And oh by the way, I think President Obama and his team are smart enough if Romney did something wrong, they would be able to get him on it.....so far it's all smoke and mirrors.
Don't get too happy Pats 3... it's all about the timing.
Good poker players hold their cards close. Let's see how this all plays out.
Yes, and this morally strong individual can rake in $ from Stericycle's aborted fetuses and pretend he knows nothing about his holdings. What kind of a businessman knows so little about where he makes his money? Should we have "blind trust" in his abilities?
Not to mention that these "...very upstanding and morally strong individuals", the Romney's, sold a lame, loaded-up-on-painkillers horse for $125K that turned out to be unfit for the reason purchased...dressage. An examining vet declared that in his 38 years of practice, he had never seen a horse given that many drugs.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/22/nation/la-na-ann-romney-dressage-20120522
If you vote for Romney, his trust won't be the only thing that is "blind".
Guess that vet hadn't spent any time around thoroughbred, harness, or quarterhorses horses are admininistered Bute for arthritis like symptoms every week of their lives to make them comfortable while they are racing and when they are retired from racing, hmm Eye Wide Open? Perfectly legal and accepted practice and administerd by a veterarian. But as usual, people of money are always victims of crazy laws suits, and the half life of bute doesn't allow a vet to make that kind of analysis, even if he was totally familiar with the horse's medication routine.
You are just so out to lunch!
Wow...impressive blather Keith, for anybody who might not be familiar with your style, that is. Spoken like a man without any gonads. Of course, you do have some salient factual evidence at hand that you can cite to support your assertion, don't you?
Had you bothered to read the story, you probably (but not necessarily) would have gleamed the easily discernible fact that the new owner is quite well off herself, so it wasn't a "crazy lawsuit", for if so, then WHY were Romney's lawyers so eager to gag all the participants as to the divulging of the details? And had you read it, you would be more cognizant of the facts of the issue. Too many big words in it for you, Keith?
I never mentioned anything specific other than painkillers, and neither did the story. You assume the drug used was the one you mentioned, but I question how you would know something that wasn't published. Oh wait...you're just Keith. And if it comes down to a practicing vet with 38 years experience versus you with your 10 minutes or less of reading up on the subject, well, you're not even on the same planet.
About those facts you must have lying around at your fingertips to support your theory? I'll be waiting to see them. But knowing you, I doubt you'll produce any because you don't have any. Guys without cojones are like that...yeah...they are!
So, as your idol has said..."it's time for you to put up or shut up".
"10 minutes reading an article on the subject". I think you just described yourself, Eye Wide Shut. Instead, I offer up my extensive knowledge of the subject gleaned from active prarticipation on several horserqcing blogs which regularly deal with issues of medication regimes for horses, and my knowledge gained from 40+ years of being an avid fan of horseracing.
Oh yeah...sure...
Still no sources you can cite to back up your assertions, eh? I'm not even shocked about your lack of them anymore...that's your undeniable MO.
Given your penchant for not providing said sources, I'm not inclined to believe any little tales of your "life experiences"...or your alleged "extensive knowledge" claims that you'd like to pass off as proof of your rants. You always extoll your supposed expert knowledge as if everybody reading such gibberish must take it for granted that you're the definitive authoritative source on the subject.
Well, given your track record on the issue, I can tell you truthfully that ain't gonna happen for you in your lifetime, soprano-boy...
I'm sure everyone who visits here watches Rachel Maddow, but I'm not sure everyone visits her blogsite... I go there less than here, in fact, although I watch her show more frequently... Grandpa Fuzz doesn't go there because he's afraid of getting the @!$%# beat out of him by articulate women, of course.
This link belongs here as a "Chonicle of Mitt's Mendacity," and there are some serious minds who've examined the "Up Mitt Creek Without an Etch-a-Sketch" issues...
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/24/13460152-chronicling-mitts-mendacity-vol-xxxi?lite
Down is up, and up is down, and I stand behind what I said even if I don't remember it, and if I don't remember it, how can you fault me for saying something different?
A moment of silence please, for Saul Alinsky, and a honk of my horn to Newt Gingrich for bringing him up in the discussion. BTW, Alinsky was neither a socialist nor a Communist, but the late William F. Buckley, Jr. did call him an organizational genius...
Cabbie Corollary to the Alinsky Principle of Mockery as a political power tool: It is essential that witty remarks be grounded in objective truth or their effectiveness is greatly diminished.
What is that supposed to mean, Cab Driver, on a blog topic which attempts to distract attention from the problems Obama has with the poor record and dissatisfaction of the electorate with the economy, the fiscal situation, and his energy policies which have led to increased gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and food prices, which will continue to spiral higher, like the Unemployment Rate and weekly new claims for Unemployment Insurance Benefits into November?
I didn't expect you to understand this high level stuff, Fuzzie. I wrote it for the three figure I.Q. crowd. Remember I told you I was filling up my gas tank at Rachel's yesterday? Strictly for the high octane brains...
Now let's see, the topic here is how Bain's tax strategy--which was how Mitt made his hundreds of millions--is unlawful. And I posted a link to some information--which you haven't been able to refute so you resort to flatulence again--on Mitt's dishonesty. Medacity means dishonesty, BTW.
BTW, there's information coming out from folks here on how he was always flying back East to board meetings while he claims he was focused 24/7 on running the Olympics... More mendacity, no doubt...
Hmmm, is Romney planning to turn the whole country into an organized crime operation and create jobs that way? Is that a possibility?
Okay history question: Why did Nixon want to keep the Watergate tapes secret?
Second question: Why does Romney want to keep his tax returns secret?
Same answer, of course... But I see you were hollering about people being sensitive, and here you go getting hysterical again...
Anyway, I see Major Garret--one of the new cons among the neo-cons--got the same talking points memo you did about Charlie Crist... What a clown show the Teapublicans run...
And Kay Bailey Hutchinson is now up there insisting Republicans "repudiated" the remarks by Rep. Akin last week and is trying to deny the obvious attempts to curtail women's rights... They would've used Sarah Palin, but she mixes up "f's" and "p's."
Somebody forgot to tell Mike Huckabee about this stuff...
I guess the three so-called "tax experts" that this usual liberal crap distraction and slandar attempt called on for its misleading and lying message are superior to the IRS tax attorneys that have reviewed the Romneys IRS Tax filings, as well as Bain Capital's Corporate tax filings thru the years, hmmm Cab Driver? Smells like something is fishy to me...and its the subject and slime of this post, pulled out of Little Lying Larry O'Donnel's nether regions where the sun don't shine.
By the way, the anti-Obama conservative documentary "2016: Obama's America" is outdrawing the new Hollywood entertainment movie releases this weekend, and grossing $9.3 million in it first week's limited roll out, looks like its already the top received all time of conservative documentaries amongst movie goers. Let's see if it makes a run at Micharl Moores offerings, like Farenheit 411.
Grandpa speaks about his "vast knowledge," but the rest of us realize it's only "half vast."
As for the "Obama Documentary," way I hear it is Michael Moore is laughing his hind end off at this pathetic attempt at imitation. Neo-colonialism... Right... See the phrase "neo-con" in it? Meet the new con, same as the old con...
It may survive as a camp classic someday, on the order of Reefer Madness or Attack of the Killer Tomatoes...
This is your typical Obama Democratic way of saying, "I'm getting the crap kicked of me". Obama ways of disconcertment is being applied out of desperation. He talks about Romney campaign contribution exceeding his by 30%. Obama, while choking on his own hypocritical values, let's bring up his 1 billion dollar camp funding in 2008. I'm sure the IRS used their top accountant on every tax article that was required from Romney, and approved. So can we get onto the real issues. Obama an AMATURE, and he needs to go.
Obama was the first political candidate since Watergate days to state he would not take Federal electoral matching funding to limited fund raising, by renegging on his pledge in 2008's election campaign, and raising the most money of any presidential candidate in history...outspending McCain, the Republican candidate 3-1. Now, after blowing several hundred millions on attack adds trying to slandar and discredit his opponent's character and "sterling" reputation (as in the words of ex President Bill Clinton) for a successful businessman, and his record as Gov. of Massachusetts, Obama is sweating not being able to match the conservative use of campaign contributions over the summer and the amount that Romney banked to prosecute his campaign running on the Romney/Ryan plans for the future revitalization of this nation's private sector economy. And running a campaign that exposes the harm Obama's policies and practices of the past 4 years have done to the economy, our nation's fiscal situation, and the middle class that the failed amateur President of 2009-2012 states he has wants to help. The same families that have lost $4,500 on average of annual income in his years of 8.7% average unemployment rate, and higher gasoline, diesel, heating oil, electricity, and food prices. When asked if they were better off today than they were at the beginning of the Obama presidency, 69% said no or about the same. Not a conviencing record to run on, so we get the countless distrations, and the the usual liberal Obama supporting media attempting to distract also the public from looking at the failed Obama record!
Hey Keith, you left something out of your screed....Obama's attempt to destroy all Republican leaders using a hurrican--also failed because it can't even be called a hurrican and it's moving away from Tampa. i don't know why you insist on blaming Obama for the problems which are a direct result of 12 years of Republican rule. The country failed under Bush policies---getting us out of that HOLE is going to take a lot longer than four years with a do-nothing Congress. Why did they do nothing? So they could blame Obama for not getting his act together and fixing this all by himself! What a load of BS. Take it home with you, Keith and contemplate the lengths Repulicans will go to try to make lies sound like the truth!
Obama is much more powerful than that! Note how the hurricane is just enough to hassle the Repugs at their convention, but now it's taking a turn towards New Orleans and the areas devastated by Katrina...
There's a message there for those how have eyes to read it... It's a reminder about what happened when a Republican was in charge...
(Okay, I don't believe that @!$%#, but anything to get Pat Robetson to shut up is worthwhile)
12 years of Republican rule? Bush, 8 years. $4.5 Trillion defict run up, fighting two hot wars plus the effect of the financial asset bubble burst Clinton recession in late 2000-2002, (made worse by the 9/11 terrorist assault on our financial and trasportation system) and the recession due to the housing market bubble burst of 2007-2010; 5.6% average Unemployment Rate, never higher than 6.3%. And on Obama's 4 year watch, going on $6 Trillion of deficit spending, 8.7% average Unemployment Rate, the highest 10% at the end of the recession in Oct, 2010.
Runaway deficit social spending and taking from the private sector to shore up the fattened rolls of the 1995-2005 housing market bubble public employment sector, than whining incessantly for more tax monies to keep on keeping on in the face of failure won't buy Obama 4 more years. It buys him a ticket back to Chicago, and please check to see that he doesn't pack up the White House silverware on his way out!
The "12 Years of Republican Rule" refers to the years 1995-2006 when the Republicans held control of Congress.
Remember, you've been bragging out the 1994 event?
Your Etch-a-Sketch appears to be malfunctioning..
Republicans in control of the House of Represemntatives since Jan, 2011 has only trimmed $200-$300 Billion off the ruaway federal deficit spening, that began with $2.7 Trillion off the debt limit busting stuff in the 1st two years of the Obama Administration with both branchs of Congress in control of the Democrat Party majoirity, Cab Driver.
So you do the math!
See War, Afghanistan, Unfunded, and War, Iraq, unnecessary and undunded to explain the difference. There's plenty of documentation to show the Obama Administration has curbed government growth more than any administration in recent history. They've done so well you folks have to lie to even get any attention.
This stuff is déjà vue for those of us who were around during the late 60's with the Vietnam fiasco and the horrors of trying to clean up the budget afterwards...
Unfortunately, you were in denial back then, Grandpa, and nothing has changed.
Thanks again, for the honorarium, however. You may call me Cabbie...
We JUST got a bill from IRS from 2010. For a $1.50 short payment we got a bill for $30 — $28.50 for 2 yrs interest!! no challenge possible. And Romney doesn't want to show taxes. We're Srs on unfixed income, retirement plan trashed by GW's crash. IRA interest from 7% Clinton to 1% by GW's last days ;-(
If you don't have income tax refunds due in the years ahead, and don't have Social Security payments (you stated you are not on a fixed income in retirement) offer the $1.50 payment, and a request for a waiver of the interest has it was an honest mistake of arithmatic on your part when filing your tax return two years ago.
The GOP puts much stock on their "Christian Values Platform" argument, there are "MANY" Democrats that are devout Christians that may not wear their Faith on their sleeve and the Democrats are supposed to be a BIG TENT right? (Catholics, Lutherans, Methodist, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Unitarians, Adventist and the Jewish People) Why is the Democratic Party "AFRAID" to use Christianity and the Bible to back up their views and values? Nobody is saying you have to be a Christian and Democrats do respect “ALL” views believers as well as non-believers, but many Democrats and Independents do hold these values because of Christianity. The Bible and Jesus were very very progressive by today's standards. I am an Independent, Catholic, former Republican, college educated and would like to help President Obama win re-election. So I compiled my own set of Christian Values to help the Democratic Party backup some of their "VALUES" and these "Christian Values" are curiously missing from the Republican Platform there is more to Christianity than being anti-abortion and anti-gay Democrats need to learn how to fight FIRE with FIRE:
Psalms. 140:12. I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor. (The Social Safety Net, Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Tricare and Medicaid and Food Stamps)
Deuteronomy. 15:7. If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. (Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Unemployment, the Minimum Wage)
Isaiah . 10:1-3. "Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who continually record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights... Now what will you do in the day of punishment, and in the devastation which will come from afar?" (Income inequality, Supreme Court decisions that work against “WE the PEOPLE”. Wall Street vs. Main Street, Medicare, Social Security, Regulations affecting air, water and food, tax inequality and the ONE TRILLION DOLLAR FAILED WAR on DRUGS)
Luke 6:24. "But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full." (Income inequality, unfair tax rates that only benefit the 1% and Corporate subsidies vs. the Social Safety Net)
Proverbs 29:7. The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor; the wicked does not understand such concern.” (Medicaid, Welfare to work, Unemployment insurance, minimum wage, Affordable Care Act and Food Stamp Program, Dream Act and Student Aid)
Matthew. 6:24. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Money." (Corporate greed and the avarice of the 1% and Wall Street)
Matthew 19:24 “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Greed, indifference and avarice of the plutocracy)
Timothy 6:10. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. (Re-Defining Christian Values-the Ryan Budget and prosperity doctrine, indifference to the plight of the Middle Class and the Poor, avarice of the 1%)
Matthew 7:1-5“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. (Judgment of each other and intolerance of our differences, Races and Beliefs)
James 4:11-12 “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks evil against the law and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? ” (Tolerance and respect for one another, honoring God’s greatest gift the gift of FREE WILL)
Galatians 5:14 “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Tolerance and Respect for each other and the pursuit of happiness)
Proverbs 31:9 “Open your mouth, judge righteously; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Medicaid, Education, Food Stamps and the Social Safety net)
Leviticus 19:34"You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." (Immigration reform, Anti-Immigrant sentiment, the Dream Act)
Ezekiel 47:22 “You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel." (Immigration reform. the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, The Dream Act)
Thanks Thom for taking the time to pull out the scriptures that most (not all) religious Rightists would prefer not to reference or even think about. And there is one more I would like to present that is ALWAYS ignored by those who argue for scripture as a GUIDE to our law-making and what is missing from our public school system:
Matthew 5:38-48 "You have heard the commandment, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But what I say to you is off no resistance to injury. When a person strikes you on the right cheek, turn and offer him the other. If anyone wants to go to law over your shirt, hand him your coat as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the man who begs from you . Do not turn your back on the borrower.
You have heard the commandment, 'You shall love your countryman but hate your enemy.' My command to you is: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors. This will prove that you are sons of your Heavenly Father, for his sun rises on the bad and the good, he rains on the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you, what merit is there in that? Do not tax collectors (read sinners) do as much? And if you greet your brothers only, what is so praiseworthy about that? Do not pagans (read unbelievers) do as much? In a word you must be made perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
(The purpose of Congress is to work together for the good of the country. When you look upon each other as enemies to be thwarted and overcome, it is the country that suffers. If you claim to be Christian then follow what your master teaches and love your "enemies" find a way to work with each other and the president to correct and overcome the problems that by your actions or inaction have gotten us into this mess...then by your example will people trust that you are truly followers of Jesus Christ and not posers who demand that others do what you do not do!)
Thom: Google; Lying for the Lord. See if any of that is consistent with any scripture you ever read. Thanks for the above.
"How about render into Ceaser what is Ceaser's, and onto God what is God's."
The argument that the Government must take ever more money out of the hands of its subjects to be redistributed as the Government sees fit, negates the ability of the people to support their churches and their charities. Especially if the expensive redistribution plans are naked attempts to build a lasting political power base of takers in society.
In regard to the BAIN TAX SHUFFLE and Romney's taxes...."TRUST HIM" I think not!
That's one of the reasons that he left out the FBAR (Foreign Bank & Accounts Report) from his 2010 tax returns that he disclosed. So far he's only submitted one year of tax returns and that was incomplete. The FBAR is the one form that would outline what trickery he used to avoid paying taxes to this country that he wants to lead. True patriot, this guy. Google: Lying for the Lord. It shows why Mitt lies. His church sanctioned it.
Mitt's 2011 Tax year returns aren't due until Octorber, as he his Blind Trust requested a waiver as the Obama Administration and the Senate Democrats were attempting to get a tax increase thru Congress retroactive to Jan, 2011 in the Spring of 2012.
Somebody explain the FBAR joke to Grandpa. He still hasn't got it...
And here you are, EGPhx, your reward thou good and faithful servant...
http://lareviewofbooks.org/article.php?type=&id=877&fulltext=1&media=
Oh me, oh my, not paying taxes on what you stole, who says two wrongs do not a profit make.
Just pay up and we'll look no further, promise to reform some day, but we 'd prefer you look the other away.
Some change is reasonable, some say over due, as for me I haven't clue, but would suggest that we change the system, to lords and ladies, princes and nobles, and barony or two would just so do. Far above the common folk, no scubbing or chamber pots for them,we bow to below the hem and ride them upon our bent over backs.
To the rich, to the rich, let not them to pay a tax, but place it all upon our backs.
Please do take this tenth pig, and also the tenth child to raise, Thanks again we live to serve.
13% to 14% of an estimated $20+ million in annual investment income, mostly stock capital gains and dividends from stocks and bonds, while interest and real estate rental income is taxed at 35% adds up to a lot of taxes paid for a couple in their retirement years.